7- 54/013 April 7, 2013
 
 

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HORSE SENSE
Periodic updates about issues and actions concerning New York City's Carriage Horses +
Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages www.banhdc.org

Horses Without Carriages International www.horseswithoutcarriages.org

PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES ** Flickr photos ** educational demo ** NYC mayoral race ** NYS Avella/Rosenthal bill - take action **

THE TRUTH ABOUT NYC CARRIAGE HORSES
captured in photographs
west side livery We recently set up a Flickr page for all the photographs we and others have taken of NYC carriage horses and the conditions in which they live and work. Please click here to see our collection to date. It is a work in progress. Pay special attention to the pictures of NYC carriage horse stables - conditions that are defended by the carriage drivers and their supporters. You may have already seen some of the photos in our previous newsletters or on our Facebook page No Walk in the Park. This picture was taken during their annual event when the trade invites people to see their stables. This year West Side Livery was added. This is a picture of the interior of West Side Livery that was posted on a public Facebook forum. While the stalls have supposedly been enlarged to code - only 60 square feet - they are not large enough for the horses to lie down and stretch out. Experts recommend between 144 and 196 square feet. There is also no turnout to pasture in any of the stables.

CARRIAGE HORSES - NEXT EDUCATIONAL DEMO
save the date - Saturday April 20, 2013
Please join the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages and activists as we educate tourists about the inhumane and unsafe horse-drawn carriage trade.
  • When: Saturday - April 20, 2013
  • Time: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
  • Where: North west corner of Central Park South and Fifth Avenue

WHAT'S NEW IN THE NYC MAYORAL RACE?
slush fund The election for NYC mayor is in November of this year. Primary elections will be held for all political parties on September 10th. If no one gets 40% of the vote, the candidates with the two highest votes will compete in a run-off. The winner of the run-off will compete in November. It is no secret that people who care about animal issues in New York City do not support Speaker Christine Quinn. But she has been leading in the polls because of very favorable treatment from the media who have looked the other way since the slush fund scandal a few years ago. But things are changing. Beginning with the NY Times article of last week, the dams have opened . Please read these important articles.

Before anyone asks, The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages is not ready to make any political endorsements. There is plenty of time. If you are on Facebook, please like and read Defeat Christine Quinn. This clever cartoon is credited to True News.

BILL TO BAN HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES IN NYS LEGISLATURE
Please make calls - Bill Numbers: S667 and A997 + Sign the petition
horse 3-24-13 The only bill to support in the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC is the Avella/Rosenthal bill in the State Legislature. It is a pure ban. There are no strings attached. This is a link to a petition we have on change. org. Please sign it if you have not done so already.

You can read the legislation by clicking on the bill numbers, S667 and A997 . Text in CAPS is new. Text with a strike through is deleted. (photo by MC)

PLEASE CALL MEMBERS OF CITIES COMMITTEE
to support S667 and A997 - The horses need your help!
Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to make calls and write e-mails to state legislators. If you have not yet done this, please do it now. It does not have to be done at one time. The horses need your help. The best way to lobby your representative is to meet in person. If anyone wants to do that, please contact us at coalition@banhdc.org. The next best thing is a snail mail letter. Please see our newsletter from last week for the names of all the Cities Committee members and the links to their pages. Then comes phone calls. They are effective also. The telephone list is divided into Senate and Assembly - please make as many phone calls as you can. All you have to say is: My name is ______ and I live in ______ (borough or other city if not New York.) I am calling in support of S667 (or A997 if you are calling an Assemblymember.) I would like to know if Senator ______ (or Assemblymember _______ ) will sponsor this bill, which would prohibit the operation of horse-drawn carriages in New York City. Please get back to me on this issue. I will call back in a few days if I do not hear from you. " You should leave your e-mail , telephone number and/or address. If you live outside of New York City or state, please call anyway. This issue has resonated around the world and the carriage trade is frequented by tourists. If they ask for any information and they generally do not - and if you are not able to provide it - tell them you will get back to them and then contact us - coalition@banhdc.org. Please note changes in BOLD.
  • CITIES COMMITTEE - SENATE:
  • Andrew Lanza - chairman (NYC) - (518) 455-3215
  • Greg Ball (845) 279-3773
  • Neil D. Breslin (518) 455-2225
  • John A. DeFrancisco - (Syracuse) (315) 428-7632
  • Mark Grisanti - (Buffalo) (716) 854-8705
  • CITIES COMMITTEE - ASSEMBLY
  • Felix Ortiz - chairman - (NYC) (718) 492-6334
  • Joseph Borelli (NYC) (718) 967-5194
  • Edward Braunstein (NYC) (718) 357-3588
  • John Ceretto (Niagara Falls) (716) 282-6062
  • Jane Corwin (Clarence) (716) 839-4691
  • Marcos Crespo (NYC) (718) 893-0202
  • Rafael L. Espinal, Jr. (NYC) (718) 235-5627
  • Michael Kearns (Buffalo) (716) 826-0152
  • Micah Kellner - (NYC) (212) 860-4906
  • Shelley Mayer (Yonkers) (914) 779-8805
  • John McDonald III (518) 455-4474
  • Walter Mosley (NYC) (718) 596-0100
  • Bill Nojay (585) 334-5210
  • James Tedisco (Schenectady) (518) 370-2812
  • David Weprin (NYC) (718) 454-3027
    •

    E-mail addresses are deemed to be not as effective because they can be easily deleted. However, if you do not have the time to make phone calls and want to take the chance and write an e-mail - these are the groupings: SENATE lanza@senate.state.ny.us; jdefranc@nysenate.gov; grisanti@nysenate.gov; gball@nysenate.gov; breslin@senate.state.ny.us ASSEMBLY kellnerm@assembly.state.ny.us; MayerS@assembly.state.ny.us; HeastieC@assembly.state.ny.us; braunsteine@assembly.state.ny.us; cerettoj@assembly.state.ny.us; kearnsm@assembly.state.ny.us; weprind@assembly.state.ny.us; espinalr@assembly.state.ny.us; corwinj@assembly.state.ny.us; crespom@assembly.state.ny.us; tediscoj@assembly.state.ny.us

    PLEASE JOIN US ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK & YOUTUBE

    HELP OUR ORGANIZATION BY SHOPPING ON LINE
    Also check out Cafe Press to purchase CBHDC merchandise
    igive Through a free registration with iGive, when you buy merchandise on line, your purchase will help us. There are over 700 stores that include such popular ones as Amazon.com, Staples, Best Buy and Barnes & Noble. Even Cafe Press is available if you purchase some of our merchandise. Click here to get started.

    On iGive - the name of our organization is "The Coalition for NYC Animals, Inc." We also have three stores on Cafe Press with great t-shirts, bags, hats, mugs, mouse pads, etc. Purchasing this merchandise helps our organization. Click here.

    "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead.

Thank you for caring about the horses, Elizabeth Forel - Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages - a standing committee of The Coalition for New York City Animals, Inc.

Please DONATE to our campaign to ban the inhumane and unsafe carriage horse industry.